Fred B. Kniffen

Fred Bowerman Kniffen (January 18, 1900 – May 19, 1993) was an American geographer and distinguished professor in the Department of Geography and Anthropology at Louisiana State University for over 64 years. Kniffen had a background in anthropology, geography, and geology when he arrived at Louisiana State University in the late 1920s. While there, he made great strides in the Department of Geography and Anthropology that led to the development of new research areas, additional courses, and well trained graduate students. Most of his ancestors were of English descent. Kniffen's father had many jobs while he was growing up, some of which included a lumberjack and a brickmaker. His mother was a school teacher who encouraged him to excel in his studies and instilled in him a passion for learning. Kniffen's doctoral research focused on the Colorado River Delta's cultural and natural landscape. Kniffen was the head of the Department of Anthropology before the merge (of Geography and Anthropology). During this time, he taught courses in geography as well. Kniffen's courses were said to be rigorous, but widely popular with students. This book remained standard in the discipline for over three decades. Kniffen emphasized cultural landscapes in many of his teaching styles. This was due in large part to his history at the University of California, Berkeley and his work with Carl O. Sauer, Oskar Schmieder, and Alfred L. Kroeber. Perhaps Kniffen's most widely recognized accomplishment and contribution to the discipline was in the topic of folk housing and folk geography. Kniffen's interest in this topic began in the late 1940s as he had several projects dealing with folk geography. Some of which include the folk-ways of sport hunting, geographical myths of Louisiana, and costumes of American working men.

Kniffen mentored seven Master of Science (M.S.) students, eight Master of Arts (M.A.) students, and twenty-eight Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) students during the period 1936 – 1970. He was also committee chair on numerous undergraduate theses while at Louisiana State University.

Death and legacy Kniffen died on May 19, 1993, at the age of 93 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was survived by his wife, three sons, a daughter, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. At the time of Kniffen's death, the flag on campus was flown at half-mast.

A professorship was established in his name in 1991 entitled the "Fred B. Kniffen Professorship". In 1994, a wing of the Geosciences Building on Louisiana State University's campus was named the "Fred B. Kniffen" wing. During the past sixty years, over thirty festschrifts, dedications, and tributes have been made in his honor.

Awards and honors 1922: Phi Beta Kappa 1929: Scholar, Southwest Laboratory of Anthropology 1938 – 1939: Rosenwalk Fellow, Europe 1959 – 1962: Councillor, Association of American Geographers 1961 – 1963: Consultant, College Geography Committee, Association of American Geographers 1963: Chairman, Publications Committee, Association of American Geographers 1964 – 1965: Honorary President, Association of American Geographers 1966 – 1967: Distinguished Professor, Louisiana State University Foundation 1967: Boyd Professor, Louisiana State University 1982: First Annual Award, Louisiana Folklore Society

List of Key Works and Publications Culture Worlds (1951). New York: Macmillan. (with Richard J. Russell). Culture Worlds (1961). New York: Macmillan. (with Richard J. Russell and Evelyn Pruitt). Folk Housing: Key to Diffusion (1965). Annals of the Association of American Geographers 55: 549 – 577. The Indians of Louisiana (1966). 2nd ed. Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican Publishing Company. Why Folk Housing? (1965). Annals of the Association of American Geographers 65: 59 – 63. Louisiana: Its Land and People (1968). Louisiana State University Press.